Many students have given up on finding a room

Students are giving up hope of finding a room due to the persistent student housing shortage, according to Kences, the knowledge center for student housing. 44 percent of students currently live in student rooms, while 49 percent would like to. Eight years ago, 52 percent of students lived away from their parents’ home, and 59 percent wanted to.

According to Kences director Jolan de Bie, the housing shortage limits the accessibility of higher education, hinders students’ development, and is detrimental to the Netherlands’ knowledge economy. “If you can’t leave home, this usually means a longer commute or having to choose a different study program because the distance is too great,” she said, according to NOS.

Students who are forced to continue living with their parents also miss out on a significant part of their social-emotional development. “The experience of being (partially) excluded from student life can also lead to feelings of isolation and lower self-esteem,” De Bie said. The isolation also makes it harder to build a network, which can limit young people’s chances on the job market later on.

And because neighboring countries can often guarantee housing, the Netherlands’ shortage also weakens its knowledge economy and competitive position, De Bie said.

According to Kences, the current student housing shortage stands at 21,000 rooms, but the number is higher in practice because many students have given up looking. Also, a number of rooms are unavailable because graduates can’t move out due to the shortage in the rest of the housing market. 57 percent of graduates still live in their student rooms a year after graduation. The figures also don’t include vocational students.

The shortage increased mainly due to a decrease in supply. Some 5,000 student rooms were added to the housing stock, but more disappeared because private landlords are selling their student housing due to the new rental law. There are now 17,800 fewer students living in the private sector than last academic year. The total room supply in the 20 student cities has decreased by an estimated 13,500 to 332,400 rooms.

Kences expects the shortage to increase further in the coming years, to between 26,000 and 63,2000 in the 2032/33 academic year.

According to Kences, the government can increase the supply of student rooms by allowing temporary leases for student housing. The institute also urged municipalities to abolish the permit requirement for more than two people to share a house. According to De Bie, this is possible within the current laws and regulations and will immediately allow for better utilization of the existing room stock.

“As far as I’m concerned, the days of using the nuisance argument are over,” De Bie said. “We’re facing a widespread housing crisis in the Nehterlands, and sharing a house with up to three people doesn’t lead to additional nuisance provided it’s targeted at specific groups.”